If Corbyn Doesn’t Slay the ‘Anti-Semitism’ Dragon It Will Slay Him

By refusing to confront the Israeli State's representatives in Labour, Corbyn is Building his own Funeral Pyre

"What started organically, therefore, morphed into a planned campaign to create a coalition of mostly Jewish activist academics, pro-Israel and national representative bodies in the Jewish Diaspora, and the aforementioned major American Jewish organizations to take the discussions in an increasingly political and ideological direction, linking anti-zionism and antisemitism ever more closely. A key player in and growing influence on this campaign was the Israeli government, pursuing a new policy since the late 1980s, through its then-recently-established Monitoring Forum on Antisemitism. The policy aimed at establishing Israeli hegemony over the monitoring and combatting of antisemitism by Jewish groups world wide. This was coordinated and mostly implemented by Mossad representatives working out of Israeli embassies"

- Antony Lerman, On Antisemitism: Solidarity and the struggle for Justice, pg 11

Tony Lerman was the founder of the Institute for Jewish Policy Research before he was forced out by people like Stanley Kalms, Tory Party Treasurer, Zionist and Director of IJPR.

It sometimes seems as if Corbyn has a death wish. Not only does he ignore the evidence that the anti-Semitism campaign has been manufactured to order, faked with the sole purpose of removing him, but he is doing his best to keep it alive. Personally ordering his supporters, Ken Livingstone and Christine Shawcroft, to resign in order to satisfy the Zionist and Labour Right witchhunters is madness. Corbyn's performance is indicative of someone who with a death wish, intent on building up his own funeral pyre.

Jonathan Arkush, the outgoing President of the Board of Deputies, which has been to the fore in making false allegations of anti-Semitism, is not only a right-wing Tory but a stupid one.  Arkush’s concerns about ‘anti-Semitism’ did not prevent him from welcoming Donald Trump and the anti-Semitic alt-Right to power in America. This despite the fact that Trump’s campaign openly employed anti-Semitic stereotypes and themes. [Anti-Semitism is no longer an undertone of Trump’s campaign. It’s the melody].

Donald Trump and his administration combine ardent Zionism with anti-Semitism.  Their campaign employed a variety of subtle and not so subtle anti-semitic messages such as the advert above - Crooked Hilary with the slogan 'most corrupt candidate ever!' inside a Star of David.  It couldn't be more blatant yet the Zionists didn't utter a peep.  Ha'aretz's headline said it all: Trump's Win, the Greatest Victory for anti-Semitism in America Since 1941 

Arkush though had no hesitation in welcoming Trump to power despite the fact that his administration included open fascists like Sebastian Gorka, who is a member of a group called the Vitézi Rend (Order of Vitéz), a far-right nationalist group in Hungary originally founded by Miklós Horthy, Hungary's pro-Nazi war-time dictator who presided over the deportation of nearly half a million Jews to Auschwitz.

The 'enough is enough' demonstration that the Zionists called on March 26th was the first 'antiracist' demonstration that the Board has ever called.  In the 1930's and 1970's they told the Jewish community to stay indoors and ignore the fascists - prominent amongst those attending were those well known anti-racists Norman Tebbit and Ian Paisley's DUP!!

Arkush doesn’t even bother to hide his views or disguise them in any way.  He doesn't do subtlety yet still Corbyn and McDonnell don’t get the message.

In his final speech before retiring as President of the Board of Deputies, Arkush said of Corbyn that “he has views which are antisemitic, and he has problematic views”

In the Guardian of 30^th May Arkush was quite explicit as to what he meant by ‘anti-Semitism’.  The problem was Corbyn's attitude to Israel:

“Delegitimising the state of Israel is antisemitic,” Arkush told the newspaper. “He was a chairman of Stop the War, which is responsible for some of the worst anti-Israel discourse.

“If he shares the prevalent discourse about Israel, then that view is unquestionably antisemitic.”

Chakrabarti, who was never a radical or a socialist, joined the ranks of the witchhunters in forcing Livingstone out

In other words anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism are one and the same thing, yet the Right in the Labour Party throw a fit when people say the ‘anti-Semitism’ allegations are really about Israel.  They accuse us of believing in conspiracy theories, refusing to face reality, yet here is the leader of British Zionism confirming what we have been saying all along, that the fake anti-Semitism campaign is about Israel and the Palestinians.

To her credit, Rhea Wolfson, a Jewish member of Labour’s National Executive Committee defended Corbyn describing him as ‘one of the most principled people in politics’. Rhea was also correct to say that

‘Arkush’s claims are entirely without foundation. The evidence he cites? Jeremy’s criticisms of the actions of the Israeli government.  Criticising the actions of the Israeli government is not antisemitic.

Corbyn betrays his friends in order to appease his enemies

The problem though is that Rhea Wolfson remains a member of the Jewish Labour Movement, a group that has done more than most to spread the false anti-Semitism narrative. The JLM calls the Israeli Labour Party its ‘sister’ party. The leader of this racist party, Avi Gabbay, has just cut links with Corbyn because of

‘the hostility that you have shown to the Jewish community and the antisemitic statements and actions you have allowed”

Labour Friends of Israel tweet - blaming the murder of what is now over 115 Palestinians on the Palestinians.  In blaming Hamas, these racists denied Palestinians any agency.  Not one word of condemnation of Israeli snipers

If Rhea Wolfson means what she says then logically she should also cut links with the JLM, a group which, as the Al Jazeera under-cover programme The Lobby made clear, is in bed with the Israeli Embassy and its Ambassador Mark Regev. 

The JLM is the overseas wing of the Israeli Labour Party which operates inside the British Labour Party. The Israeli Labour Party is not a left-wing party, it is a racist and nationalist party. It has never made a claim to be socialist or indeed anti-racist.  It openly says that Jews and Arabs can't live together.  It believes that the Arab birthrate in Israel is a 'problem'.

Gabbay supported the the deportation of 40,000 Black African refugees back to Eritrea and Sudan because they were neither White nor Jewish. Party leader Gabbay forces Zionist Union to back expulsion of migrants The ILP also supports the mass murder of unarmed demonstrators in Gaza in the past 4 weeks.

This little fascist Harry Saul Markham has a picture of Menachem Begin on his teeshirt - Begin was condemned by Albert Einstein, Hannah Arendt and 20 other Jews in a letter to the New York Times in December 1948 for founding Herut 'a political party closely akin in its organization, methods, political philosophy and social appeal to the Nazi and Fascist parties'

And yet despite all of this, when some of us have pointed out that the ‘anti-Semitism’ attacks have really been about Israel, Arkush and company complain that ‘we are accused of “smearing” Corbyn’.  Perish the thought!

Arkush and his side-kick, Jonathan Goldstein of the Jewish Leadership Council wrote an Open Letter to Corbyn in which they made it crystal clear that the ‘anti-Semitism’ they were talking about was anti-Zionism:

‘“Again and again, Jeremy Corbyn has sided with antisemites rather than Jews. At best, this derives from the far left’s obsessive hatred of Zionism, Zionists and Israel. At worst, it suggests a conspiratorial worldview in which mainstream Jewish communities are believed to be a hostile entity, a class enemy,”

If final proof were needed about the bogus nature of the ‘anti-Semitism’ claims, then Arkush gave the game away when he called the Jewish group that Corbyn visited to spend Seder with, Jewdas, a‘ source of virulent anti-Semitism.’.  Adding for good measure, horror of horrors, that not all of them were Jewish!

Labour Friends of Israel represents the Israeli Embassy inside the Labour Party - it talks of a 'cycle of violence' as if there were gang warfare in Gaza rather than an 11 year siege by Israel - not one word of condemnation of the deliberate shooting of unarmed demonstrators by Israel

Of course it does not need a genius to work out what the 'antisemitism' smears are about. The latest anti-Semitism furore, was sparked of by Luciana Berger MP, who produced a 6 year old, long erased mural, whose destruction Corbyn had opposed on free speech grounds.  This was such an obvious pretext that you would need an IQ of under 60 not to get it.

It had been pulled out of a hat, like a rabbit at a party, in time for the local elections.  The purpose was obvious.  To try and do as much damage as possible to Labour's local election results.  I have no doubt that at this very moment similar pretexts are being dusted down for use in the future.

I will therefore make a prediction.  Just as last year I was almost alone in predicting that Corbyn would come out of the General Election in a better shape than when he went into the election [see here and here] so I predict that unless Corbyn faces down the false anti-Semitism allegations he will fail to become Prime Minister.  The purpose of the anti-Semitism witch-hunt was not to remove me or Marc Wadsworth or Ken Livingstone.  It is to remove Jeremy Corbyn.  We are just collateral damage.  If Corbyn cannot see that then he does not deserve to become Prime Minister.

Corbyn has behave utterly stupidly and cowardly in betraying his friends to appease his enemies.  Telling Christine Shawcroft to resign from the NEC was the sign of some who was in panic mode.  To tell Livingstone he had to go, and there is absolutely no doubt that Jeremy Corbyn was personally involved, was even more stupid.  Livingstone was a strong and capable supporter.  Appeasing John Mann by sacrificing your closest political ally is shameful.

Corbyn's idiotic comment about 'pockets of anti-semitism' was used against him at the Zionists' 'antiracist' demonstration

The depths of Corbyn’s idiocy was betrayed in his comment that there are ‘pockets’ of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.  In giving sustenance to the idea that anti-Semitism is a living phenomenon in the Labour Party Corbyn was also giving sustenance to his enemies.  When we turn around and point out the bogus nature of the ‘anti-Semitism’ allegations the Right point to Corbyn and say that even he agrees with them. Corbyn is thus giving substance to a campaign whose purpose is to remove him.

Likewise Momentum’s owner and dictator, Jon Lansman, with his crass comments that Labour’s anti-Semitism was ‘unconscious’.  If antisemitism is unconscious then it isn't be much of a problem.  If only the Windrush victims had faced ‘unconscious’ racism they would be laughing.  

The fact is that Jews in Britain don’t experience state racism, deportation, police violence, discrimination in the jobs market, false imprisonment etc.  Anti-Semitism exists at the margins.   Indeed most of what is called ‘anti-Semitism’ is simply a reaction to the war crimes Israel perpetrates in the name of Jews.

In Britain today it is hard to call antisemitism a form of racism.  It is more a form of prejudice.  It has no relationship to the nexus of power in this country.  Jews are White NOT Black.  Jews are not an ethnic minority or an oppressed group.  They suffer at worst marginal prejudice.  Indeed most prejudice results from the actions of Israel as a self-declared Jewish state.

The ‘anti-racism’ demonstration of March 26^th called by the Board of Deputies was the first such demonstration that the Board had ever called.  When it came to opposing Sir Oswald Moseley’s British Union of Fascists in the 1930’s or the mass mobilisation of the Anti Nazi League in the 1970’s the Board preached complete pacifity.  Jews were recommended to stay at home.  When it comes to Israel’s defence then the Board is all in favour of demonstrating.  In other words when it comes to defend Jews against real anti-Semitism, the Board lies down and whimpers.  when it comes to defending Israel the Board comes out with guns a blazing.

Let me however make another prediction. Although the ‘anti-Semitism’ allegations have died down now that the local government elections are out of the way the embers are still glowing.  Come the Labour Party conference in the autumn or the local elections next year or possibly a general election if Brexit blows up in May’s face, then ‘anti-Semitism will resurface.

 

Why?  Because ‘anti-Semitism’ is a potent weapon in the hands of the Right.  It is difficult to attack Corbyn over rail nationalisation or austerity or the other popular elements of Labour’s programme. However anti-Semitism is the Achilles heel of the Labour left.  It gives the Right, especially the Labour Right, a sense of righteousness that defending poverty and cuts doesn’t give them.

Of course any idiot should be able to see that if the Sun, Daily Mail, Express and all the rest of the yellow press are so opposed to ‘anti-Semitism’ in Labour at the same time as they attack or demonise Black people, then there must be a catch. How can one oppose ‘anti-Semitism’ and support all other forms of racism unless of course, ‘anti-Semitism’ is a code word for supporting the Establishment, Capitalism and the politics of Imperialism.  'Antisemitism' is really about foreign policy.

That is why when John McDonnell says he ‘could weep’ over Labour’s ‘anti-Semitism’ one wonders what he’s going to do when faced with the determined resistance of the financial and industrial capitalists when he tries to nationalise the utilities. The attack on Labour for ‘anti-Semitism’ is so patently transparent that one wonders what kind of idiot it is that doesn’t see it.  McDonnell is now coming under attack from The Telegraph for failing to dissociate himself from the Labour Representation Committee, of which he is honorary President, because of the LRC’s support for the victims of the anti-Semitism witchhunt like Jackie Walker.

Perhaps McDonnell will weep and resign from the LRC proclaiming that he didn't know that they opposed the witchhunt of socialists?

‘Anti-Semitism’ is the gift that keeps giving. It is the only thing that the Labour Right have going for them.  It is what puts a left sheen on racists like Keir Starmer and John Mann. If Corbyn cannot slay the ‘anti-Semitism’ dragon it will slay him. It cannot be avoided because the Right, which means the BBC and the Tory tabloids, The Guardian included, won’t let it die down.

If Corbyn had faced down the false anti-Semitism narrative two years ago when he was accused of consorting with holocaust deniers then he wouldn’t be facing these never ending attacks now.  The time has come to put this beast to sleep alongside those who insist on breathing life into what has become the equivalent of the political undead.

Tony Greenstein

Jeremy Corbyn Stabs Himself in the Back as the Fake News Anti-Semitism Campaign Gathers Strength

Christine Shawcroft’s Resignation was a Totally Unnecessary Betrayal of a Comrade A Self-Inflicted Wound

Unfortunately Jeremy Corbyn preferred to stab himself in the back instead

Islamaphobia is 4 times as bad as antisemitism and anti-Roma racism is 6.5 times as bad yet all the news is about fake 'antisemitism'

I understand from close friends of Christine Shawcroft, that her resignation was not an act of selflessness or given willingly.  She was directly asked to resign by Jeremy Corbyn personally with the implied threat that if she didn’t resign she would be suspended.

This came after a petition was signed by 39 of the usual culprits – John Mann, Luciana Berger etc. demanding that Christine should resign. For Jeremy to have stabbed a close comrade in the back in order to appease these far-Right creatures is disgraceful.  Does he think that they are going to thank him? 

Christine Shawcroft - betrayed by Corbyn and Lansman

Being my silent witness aroused the ire of the Jewish Chronicle and its Political Editor Marcus Dysch

It is clear from the newspapers today – from the Sunday Times to the Observer – that the Fake News Anti-Semitism Smear Campaign is in full flow again.  Let us be in no doubt that whatever else it has to do with it is not anti-Semitism. 

If Corbyn gives way now to this artificial and hyped nonsense what will happen when and if he does get into power.

The Board of Deputies Open Letter to Corbyn last week made it crystal clear what their real agenda was - 'the far left's obsessive hatred' of things like Israel's gunning down of unarmed demonstrators

The Board justifying Israel's latest massacre of Palestinians.  The Board of Deputies is an unelected Zionist group, wholly unrepresentative of secular Jews.  The reason it attacks Corbyn is because he supports the Palestinians.

Jonathan  Hoffman (left) is a member of the Board of Deputies, Paul Besser (right) is a member of Britain First and was their 'Intelligence Officer' the woman in the middle Gemma Sheridan is a member of the neo-Nazi Jewish Defence League - Question to Jonathan Arkus, President of the BOD - why is Hoffman a member of the Board given his repeated support for anti-semites?

Here is Harvey Garfield (left) and Jonathan Hoffman (right) in the company of Roberta Moore, a member of the Jewish Defence League (Jewish wing of the English Defence League) whose members are in the background in paramilitary fatigues - Question - Why is someone who works with fascists and neo-Nazis a member of the Board of Deputies - so far Jonathan Arkush has remained silent and the gutter press isn't interested

It is a lie to suggest that Christine Shawcroft defended a holocaust denier. As I have already written Alan Bull, who was suspended and prevented from standing for Peterborough Council, distributed a Holocaust denial article amongst a close circle of friends for discussion.  He was not advocating Holocaust denial and in response to a question from one of those friends made his position very clear. However those who breached that group’s security erased those comments when they broadcast a story of Holocaust denial distribution.

I have also sent Holocaust denial articles to people I know. Anyone who is an anti-fascist should be acquainted with the kind of material holocaust deniers distribute.  I doubt if most of the Zionists who shout so loudly would, if push came to shove, be able to respond to the arguments of the holocaust deniers because most Zionists are ignorant propagandists.  The most distinguished of all Holocaust historians, Professor Raul Hilberg, argued that we should listen to holocaust deniers because they may make us think again about some of the things we argue about.  To suggest that simple distribution of a Holocaust denial article constitutes support for Holocaust denial is fakery.  One thing however is very clear.  

The fake news campaign over ‘anti-Semitism’ that the Sunday papers were full of has only one target and that is Jeremy Corbyn.

The Sunday papers are unanimous - we have the Observer engaging in anti-semitic tropes focusing on a rich Jewish donor leaving Labour with the implication that Jews use money to influence political parties

The Sunday Times article was total nonsense.  It concerned Facebook groups that support Corbyn.  All of them are unofficial, most of them are unmoderated and occasionally anti-Semitic materal might appear.  On the few occasions I have seen it I have drawn it to the attention of the moderators.  But to say that these are hate filled anti-Semitic groups is absolute rubbish and it ill becomes racist sewers like the Sunday Times, which employ racist columnists like Rod Liddle, to throw the accusation of ‘anti-Semitism’ at anyone.

I should perhaps also say that anti-Semitism today in Britain, despite the volume of spurious allegations by the newspapers, is marginal.  7% of British people have prejudiced views about Jews compared to 28% in respect of Muslims and 45% in respect of the Roma.  Anti-Semitism exists mainly on social media.  No one has ever died because of a tweet or a Facebook post.  It is in many ways utter trivia.  It is bricks and bottles on the streets that most concern me not social media.  The newspapers concentrate on social media anti-Semitism because there is virtually none in society, unlike Islamaphobia.

The Daily Mail is one of the biggest supporters of the idea that Labour is 'anti-semitic' however during the 1930's it support Moseley's British Union of Fascists and Hitler whilst urging the government not to admit Jewish refugees - nothing has changed as it is still hostile to refugees but that doesn't stop it being a strong supporter of Israel and being antisemitic

The Mail's Support for Israel and Zionism and support for the fake 'antisemitism' campaign against Labour goes hand in hand with genuine anti-semitism

However many of his friends that Jeremy throws to the wolves, however often Jeremy denies he is an anti-Semite he will still be attacked. The reason why is simple.  The target of the defamers and smearers is not me, not Jackie Walker, not Marc Wadsworth still less Alan Bull.  It is Jeremy Corbyn himself.  The purpose of the campaign is not to eradicate anti-Semitism but to eliminate Corbyn.

Because Corbyn gives every sign, not only of having no backbone left but also of what appears to be terminal timidity at best or stupidity at worst, he doesn’t seem to appreciate this simple fact.  Whatever he does, however he does it, however much he concedes on the principles he once believed in, he will be the target as and until he goes.  And if he goes the ‘anti-Semitism’ problem will likewise disappear.

Britain's Tory tabloids combine vicious racism against Black and Asian people, traditional antisemitism with slavish support for Israel

Corbyn really does believes that the Board of Deputies is sincere in its attacks on anti-Semitism.  That anti-Jewish hatred concerns them.  This is total nonsense. Anti-Semitism is not and never has been their major concern.

When I first joined the Anti-Nazi League in the late 1970’s, we came under sustained attack from the Board of Deputies.  Why?  Because they SWP who formed the ANL were anti-Zionist.  For the Board of Deputies anti-Zionism was always more important than anti-fascism.  Even Searchlight Magazine, which since the editorship of Gerry Gable has become pro-Zionist, called them ‘kamikaze pilots’ (Searchlight was then under the editorship of Maurice Ludmer, who unlike Gable was a socialist).

When Sir Oswald's Moseley's British Union of Fascists attempted to march through Jewish East End of London on 9 October 1936 100,000 Jews and non-Jewish workers stopped the fascists - the Board of Deputies told Jews to stay in doors

The Board of Deputies is a bourgeois body, unelected, unrepresentative and unconcerned about fascism.  When over 100,000 Jews and working class East Enders turned out in October 1936 to stop Oswald Moseley’s fascists marching through the East End of London the Board told Jews to stay indoors, keep your heads down.  It didn’t believe in physically opposing fascism.

The only demonstrations the Board holds are in support of Israel or in opposition to the Palestinians.  In the 1970’s when the National Front, an openly anti-Semitic party was beating the Liberals into 3^rd place and gaining 30% of the vote in cities like Leicester and Bradford, the Board of Deputies refused to mobilise the Jewish community.  It has always preferred to keep a low profile.  It is only over Israel that it becomes motivated.  That was why it held its so-called rally against anti-Semitism last Monday outside the House of Commons included Norman Tebbit, Sajid David and even the bigots of the DUP.

Corbyn is demeaning himself by begging to meet the Board of Deputies.  It is a totally futile exercise since they are not interested in anything but his removal.  There are no amount of concessions, no amount of expulsions that he could make which would satisfy them.

When the history of this period comes to be written no doubt some enterprising researcher will put in a freedom of information request to the American Embassy files and dig up information that will show that the fake anti-Semitism campaign began with the CIA and the Deep State.  No doubt Joan Ryan MP, with her £1m slush fund and Ruth Smeeth MP, who Wikileaks has already described as a US asset, will be shown to have played their part in this fake campaign.

What is particularly disgraceful is that Momentum, of whose companies Christine is a Director, has said nothing throughout this affair.  Not one word. Christine was left to twist in the wind.  

The great dictator - Jon Lansman

Although 3 left-wingers were elected earlier this year to the National Executive Committee, we now have someone we didn’t vote for on the Right, Eddie Izzard.  Momentum has been shown to be a sleeping giant.  It has 36,000 members and yet it had nothing to say.  It was frozen, immobile because Jon Lansman, Momentum’s Great Dictator, has bought into the false anti-Semitism charges from the start. Because Momentum lacks all democracy there is no way of challenging this situation.

Christine was extremely close to Lansman, so much so that when Lansman moved to get rid of Jackie Walker as Vice-Chair of Momentum, thus encouraging Crooked Iain McNicol to suspend her, Christine voted in support of Lansman.  Likewise when she was on the NEC Christine voted to refer Jackie’s case to the NCC.  Although she has now indicated that she is opposed to Jackie’s expulsion this is another case of the witchhunt coming to bite people who previously had given it succour.

Nonetheless this is a sad end to Christine’s 19 years on the NEC during which she has been a rock of the Left.  The way she has been treated, both by Corbyn and Lansman is disgraceful.  What makes it worse is that in betraying Christine Corbyn has simply emboldened his own enemies.

EXCLUSIVE - The letter that Corbyn intended to send to Jonathan Arkush at the Board of Deputies

The only way to stop the ‘anti-Semitism’ attacks is to stand up to them and not to throw your friends to the wolves

In the Jewish News last Monday Jonathan Arkush of the Board of Deputies of British Jews called for the removal of the whip from Chris Williamson MP.  Williamson’s crime was saying that it was a pleasure to share a stage with Jackie Walker and for calling for the reinstatement of Ken Livingstone.  Tonight we learn that Christine Shawcroft has been forced to quit as Chair of the Disputes Committee for supporting a suspended member, Alan Bull.

Jeremy Corbyn is in full retreat throwing his political friends to the wolves.  Instead of standing up against this McCarthyist witch-hunt by Israel’s supporters he is like a ship without sails at the mercy of a storm.  We have to be clear.  Appeasement doesn’t work it only encourages them. 

Christine Shawcroft is the latest victim of the anti-semitism purge

We now have demands that those who criticised the far-Right ‘Jewish’ demonstration outside Parliament should also be disciplined.  This is a demonstration that included the anti-Catholic DUP and Norman Tebbit.  The little darlings have apparently been subject to abuse.  This is a complete lie.  I was there and I was called a ‘traitor’ repeatedly.  I saw people shouted down and Zionists openly parading their racist contempt for the Palestinians.  Ben Southern-Thomas, a young JVL member “came away crying” after anti-Semitic abuse from Zionist demonstrators who told him he was “not a real Jew” and was just “pretending to be a Jew.”

Last night I had a dream that I had been given the task of drafting a letter from Jeremy in response to Jonathan Arkush of the Board of Deputies letter.

There are some forms of anti-semitism which are perfectly acceptable to Tory Arkush

Dear Jonathan,

Thank you for your letter of 26^th March. You wrote about an ‘institutional failure to properly address Jewish concerns’ giving the Chakrabarti Report as ‘the most glaring example.’  I could not agree more.

I have long wanted to implement Chakrabarti’s proposals regarding natural justice and due process. Unfortunately we have only just removed the last remaining obstacle to their implementation, namely Iain McNicol. Try as I might McNicol insisted on retaining the principle of Israeli military courts, namely that you were guilty unless proven otherwise.  Indeed Labour’s National Constitutional Committee has I understand much the same conviction rate as Israel’s military courts – 99.74%.

Even now we are still experiencing problems with Sam Matthews who is refusing to depart.

You speak of my failure to ‘tackle anti-Semitism’ and that I issue ‘empty statements’ whilst doing ‘nothing to address or understand it.’.  Let me assure you that I take all racism extremely seriously. That is a consequence of what you call my ‘far left worldview’.

That was why I refused to welcome the election of Donald Trump who, in the words of the Washington Post, had presided over a campaign in which anti-Semitism was not merely an undertone but the melody.  As Dana Milbank observed ‘Donald Trump and his surrogates have been playing footsie with American neo-Nazis for months.’  The final ad of Trump’s campaign featured three Jewish bankers – George Soros, Janet Yellen and Lloyd Blankfein alleging that they were part of a ‘global power structure’.

That is why I was so surprised to hear that you had extended such an effusive welcome to Trump. The Jewish Chronicle reported that ‘British Jews have responded angrily’ to your statement. I would be interested to know why you welcomed to power alt-Right politicians, such as Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka, who are steeped in anti-Semitism.  Ha’aretz noted that Gorka, despite his links to a Hungarian neo-Nazi group was welcomed by the Jerusalem Post conference last year like a superstar.

What I don’t understand, and perhaps you would help me, is that we all agree that it is anti-Semitic to blame Jews for what Israel does, yet you say that criticism of Zionism, the ideology of Israel, is anti-Semitic.  Both can’t be true.  If you say that criticising Zionism and Israel is anti-Semitic you must also be saying that Jews and Israel/Zionism are synonymous.  Which is it?  You can’t have your matzot and eat them!  You write:

When Jews complain about an obviously anti-Semitic mural in Tower Hamlets, Corbyn of course supports the artist. Hizbollah commits terrorist atrocities against Jews, but Corbyn calls them his friends and attends pro-Hizbollah rallies in London. Exactly the same goes for Hamas. Raed Salah says Jews kill Christian children to drink their blood. Corbyn opposes his extradition and invites him for tea at the House of Commons. These are not the only cases.

The problem with all your letter, in which you say that I have ‘sided with anti-Semites rather than Jews’ is that you give a host of examples – none of which are true.

For example you say that Hizbollah commits terrorist atrocities against Jews. Hizbollah has got nothing to do with British Jews. Hizbollah didn’t even exist until Israel attacked Lebanon in 1982.  Its real crime is defending Lebanon against Israeli invasions and forcing Israel out. 

You demonise Hamas but it was Israel that created Hamas as a counter-weight to secular Palestinian nationalism. See The Washington Post Wall Street Journal and The Intercept. 

You mention that I took tea with Raed Salah, who you allege ‘says Jews kill Christian children to drink their blood.’  This too is untrue.  Raed in fact said ‘“Whoever wants a more thorough explanation, let him ask what used to happen to some children in Europe, whose blood was mixed in with the dough of the holy bread.” There was no reference here to Jews. Raed insists he was referring to the practices of the Inquisition not Jews! That was why he was acquitted by the Jerusalem Magistrates Court and it was only on appeal that he was convicted by the higher colonial District Court. Raed Salah was locked up by Theresa May on the basis of a poem that was changed by the Jerusalem Post so as to make him appear anti-Semitic. Mr Justice Ockleton of the Upper Tribunal freed him.  You are even more confused when you say I opposed his extradition.  There was no extradition! 

You say that ‘Again and again, Jeremy Corbyn has sided with anti-Semites rather than Jews. At best, this derives from the far left's obsessive hatred of Zionism, Zionists and Israel.’  Why when you deny that this is about Israel do you deliberately conflate anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism? 

This poster showing George Soros, saying "Let's not allow Soros to have the last laugh!" was part of Netanyahu's friend Viktor Orban''s campaign. Someone has written "dirty Jew" on his forehead

You say that ‘Rightly or wrongly, Jeremy Corbyn is now the figurehead for an anti-Semitic political culture’.  This is mere hyperbole. I have always opposed racism. My reasons for supporting the Palestinians and opposing Zionism are the same as my reasons for opposing Apartheid in South Africa.  As you will of course know, Israel and South Africa were the best of friends. That is why people like Archbishop Desmond Tutu say that Israeli apartheid is worse than that in South Africa.

Let me assure you that it is because I am opposed to anti-Semitism that I was appalled when Netanyahu paid a friendly visit to Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban last July just after he had initiated an anti-Semitic campaign against George Soros, the American Jewish philanthropist and a childhood survivor of the Hungarian Holocaust. Netanyahu supported Orban because he too hated Soros on account of his financing Israeli human rights organisations. According to the Jerusalem Post Netanyahu is now blaming Soros for helping the 40,000 Black African refugees he is trying to deport.  Maybe that too is anti-Semitic?

Orban is currently engaged in trying to rehabilitate the pro-Nazi leader of war-time Hungary Admiral Horthy who presided over the deportation of nearly ½ million Jews to Auschwitz yet Israel has nothing to say on this. 

Yair's cartoon showing Soros as the financial manipulator, complete with Lizard and a stereotypical anti-semitic cartoon of a Jew

The neo-Nazi Daily Stormer welcomes Yair Netanyahu's antisemitic cartoon

What I find strange is that Israel has such friendly relations with all the anti-Semitic regimes in Eastern Europe – from the Czech Republic to Poland. Indeed it is hard to think of a single neo-Nazi or far-Right movement in Europe that isn’t pro-Israel! Netanyahu’s own son Yair produced a genuinely anti-Semitic cartoon attacking George Soros, complete with a Lizard and a stereotypical image of a Jewish financier. Young Yair even received praise from David Duke, ex-KKK Grand wizard and Andrew Anglin, the neo-Nazi editor of the Daily Stormer.

What I find particularly difficult to understand and perhaps you could help me, is that when the fascists tried to march through the Jewish East End of London in the 1930’s, the Board of Deputies told Jews to ignore them, stay indoors and leave it to the Police.  The same happened with the National Front in the 1970’s.  Why is it that the Board is prepared to stage demonstrations over non-existent anti-Semitism but runs away from the real thing?

Just one last favour Jonathan. You rightly ask me to remove anyone who is anti-Semitic from the Labour Party. Can I ask that you return the favour?  Jonathan Hoffman is a delegate to the Board.  He has been filmed demonstrating alongside Paul Besser, former Intelligence Officer of Britain First as well as with the EDL.  I am sure you will agree with me that the best place to start fighting anti-Semitism is at home.

Kind Regards

 

Jeremy